Salmon Au Gratin Food

SMOKED SALMON & SPINACH GRATIN

Steps:

• Put the spinach in a really big saucepan (or two saucepans) and add a few tablespoons of water. Cover, set over a medium heat and cook for about 5-8 mins, turning the spinach over every so often, until wilted. Tip it into a colander to drain and allow it to cool (spread it out on a plate to cool it quicker). Take big handfuls of it in your fists and squeeze out the excess water. It's really important that you do this, otherwise the water will leach out and make the cream watery and green.
• Chop the spinach. Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently toss the spinach in it. Season with pepper and a tiny bit of salt (there's so much salt in the salmon). Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Lay the spinach in the bottom of a gratin dish (about 30cm x 20cm), then arrange the salmon fillets on top.
• Heat the double cream in a small pan, then pour it all over the salmon and spinach. Bake for 35 mins, or until the top is golden and the cream is bubbling.

SEAFOOD AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly butter 8 small baking dishes.
• In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute shrimp and scallops until firm, about 5 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add chicken broth and raise heat to high. Stir until thickened. Mix in shallots, mushrooms and wine. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Arrange shrimp, scallops and crab in the bottom of prepared dishes. Pour sauce over seafood and cover with cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 12 t o15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SALMON GRATIN (ADAPTED FROM JULIA CHILD)

Steps:

• Cook onion in butter over low heat about 5 min or so - do not brown. Add flour, cook 2 minutes without coloring.
• Off heat, beat in boiling milk, wine (if using), salmon juice (if using), and seasoning. Boil several minutes to thicken. Thin to medium consistency with 4-6 T. additional milk. Taste for seasoning. Fold salmon (and mushrooms, if using) into sauce, check seasoning.
• Spread in 8" shallow baking dish or cooked pastry shell. Sprinkle on the cheese.
• Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, or til top is nicely browned.
• Note: You can also add extra ingredients such as peas, diced hard boiled eggs, etc. to the casserole.

SALMON AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in flour until mixture is bubbly.
• Add in milk; stir until mixture is smooth and thickened.
• Add in salmon; stir to combine.
• Transfer mixture to a small casserole dish or individual baking dishes (either must be sprayed with cooking spray beforehand).
• Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese over the top.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven until slightly browned on top.

SALMON BROCCOLI GRATIN

Steps:

• Prick potatoes all over with a fork and microwave on high until tender, about 3 minutes. Cool and slice thinly. Set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Cook until no liquid remains, abour 5 minutes. Cool completely.
• Arrange reserved sliced potatoes in a greased 5x8-inch freezer proof and oven safe baking dish. Top with the broccoli, mushrooms-onion mixture and the salmon. Sprinkle with cheese, and cover with foil. Freeze.
• Bake uncovered in a preheated 400F oven until the cheese is golden, the salmon flakes with a fork and the vegetables are tender, about 35 minutes from frozen, or 25 minutes if baking from fresh. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

SAUCY SALMON, FENNEL AND POTATO GRATIN DAUPHINOISE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180C/350°F.
• Grease a large and preferably oval or rectangular oven dish (Gratin dish) with half of the butter.
• Layer half of the potatoes on the bottom of the dish, then arrange half of the fennel slices and half of the onion slices over the top. Season well with black pepper and some salt to taste.
• Carefully lay the salmon fillets over the top and continue with the onion, fennel and potato slices in that order - ending with the potatoes.
• Dot with the remaining butter and pour the creme fraiche or milk/cream mixture over the top.
• Season with black pepper and salt.
• Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours in a pre-heated oven, until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are soft when tested.
• Serve hot with lemon wedges and the green tops of the fennel bulb; crusty bread and salad would be lovely accompaniments.

CREAMY POTATO GRATIN WITH SMOKED AND FRESH SALMON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/240 degrees Celsius. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of boiling water with the saffron and set aside for 20 minutes (longer is fine).
• Cook the potatoes: In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper. Spread out on 2 large parchment-lined baking sheets (baking trays) and roast for 20 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Set aside to cool.
• Cook the greens: In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the anchovy and garlic and fry just until the garlic is starting to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add half the spinach, stir through for a minute to wilt slightly, and then add the remaining half. Cover for 1 to 2 minutes to wilt some more, then remove the lid and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until all the moisture has evaporated and the spinach has begun to dry out. Raise the heat as needed to cook off the liquid. Turn off heat and stir in herbs. Stir in half the capers and set aside.
• Using your hands, mix the fresh and smoked salmon with 1/3 teaspoon of salt in a bowl, separating the layers of smoked salmon in the process. Set aside.
• Make the custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the saffron and its soaking water, egg yolks, cornstarch (cornflour), lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper until smooth. Pour in the milk and cream and whisk until combined. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking continuously to prevent the custard from scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until steaming and starting to thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• When ready to bake, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. To assemble, start by layering half the potatoes at the bottom of a baking dish. (A deep 8-by-8-inch square, 9-inch round, or 20-by-30-centimeter rectangle will all work.) Top with half the spinach mixture followed by all the salmon. Top with the remaining potatoes and then the spinach. Pour the custard over evenly and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the custard has set and is starting to brown. (If your custard seems dangerously close to the top of the pan, place it on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips.) Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine remaining capers with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. (The oil should just cover the capers, so you may need to add a touch more oil, depending on the size of your pan.) Fry the capers in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the capers have opened up and become crisp.
• Spoon the fried capers over the gratin, garnish with fresh dill, and serve warm with lemon wedges.

GRATIN OF FRESH & SMOKED SALMON, BEETROOT, POTATOES & DILL

Steps:

• Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon into slices about ½cm thick (if there's skin on your salmon, leave it behind as you cut each slice). Tear the smoked salmon into pieces.
• Cut the potatoes into wafer thin slices as if you were making Dauphinoise potatoes. It's best (and certainly quickest) to do this with a mandoline.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and put in a baking sheet to heat up. Mix the creams and the milk in a large saucepan, and bring to just under the boil. Add the potatoes and cook gently for 5 mins, carefully turning the potatoes over from time to time. Cut the beets into slices about 2mm thick.
• Season the potatoes and cream and butter a 22 x 30cm baking dish. Spoon half of the potatoes into the dish and spread them out. Put half the beetroot on top of that, then half the fish. Season and add half the dill. Now add the rest of the beetroot and fish, seasoning again and adding the dill. Spoon the rest of the potatoes on top. You don't need to arrange the top layer of potatoes nicely unless you really want to.
• Bake for 1 hr, or until the potatoes are completely tender and the top is bubbling (it may need an additional 10 mins). Serve with a green salad or, if you want something more comforting, warm cabbage.